MATHESON CAFE, Fox Glacier - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number

Is this restaurant good for brunch?

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About

Enjoy unsurpassed views of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman whilst dining at our contemporary style café at the entrance to the Lake Matheson Walkway. Open 7 days from 8am for breakfast, brunch and lunch, and open for dinner in peak summer season. Comfortable indoor seating and expansive deck area. Adjacent to the cafe is the ReflectioNZ Gifts and Gallery offering a range of high quality Kiwiana products, clothing and souvenirs. Lake Matheson is one of New Zealand's most scenic icons. Situated on the West Coast of the South Island, in the heart of Glacier Country and Westland National Park, the Lake Matheson walk is a must do attraction for all visitors to Fox Glacier & Franz Josef Glacier. 'Picture Perfect' reflections of New Zealand's highest peaks Mt Cook & Mt Tasman can be captured in the dark waters of this ancient lake formed by the retreat of the Fox Glacier. A trip to Lake Matheson is simply not complete without a visit to Matheson Cafe and ReflectioNZ Gifts and Gallery.

PRICE RANGE

$2.00 – $20.00

CUISINES

Cafe, European, Deli, Grill, Gastropub

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Wine and Beer, Mastercard, Visa, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Waterfront

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4.5

1,443 reviews

Excellent

827

Very good

469

Average

100

Poor

25

Terrible

22

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Lauren H

London252 contributions

One of our best meals in NZ

Jan 2020 • couples

Great food. Had dinner one day and breakfast the next. Definitely take the opportunity to walk around Lake Matheson nearby - stunning. Matheson Cafe is in a beautiful setting and we had a great view of Mts Tasman and Cook. Recommend phoning to reserve space for dinner and be aware it’s relatively expensive. The staff members we met were all lovely.

Written January 18, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christy L

2 contributions

Wonderful experience with awesome customer service

Jan 2020 • family

My family and I originally made a booking for lunch, except due to weather condition on the day, our helicopter ride was delayed to noon. The staffs were flexible to change booking for us to a late breakfast time and also allowed us to preorder our meal order to save time. They were also allowing us to order from lunch menu so we had more variety. During our meal, one of the staffs noticed that my two young daughters were unsettled and offered them two cute toys! That was unexpected and absolutely helpful as my girls loved them and were occupied by the new toys! The lamb salad and chicken noodle soup were both delicious!!! I am so glad our family went and dined there!

Written February 7, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mikelalv

Vitoria-Gasteiz1064 contributions

Very good but expected better!

Feb 2020 • family

After seeing all the reviews and comments here and having checked the menu the day before on our walk around the lake, I was so looking forward to having lunch here! And I left a bit disappointed. My dads lamb burger was nice, my chicken ramen... I’ve had so much better! The chicken was so delicious yet the broth and everything else felt flat; and for the price of the ramen I was expecting a bigger portion too. Overall very nice but I won’t be driving out of town for 10mins to eat here!

Written February 1, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paul R

Diamond Beach358 contributions

Seriously good food / service / ambiance / value

Jan 2020 • none

This cafe is serving seriously top quality meals to match any 4 / 5 star restaurant. Quick efficient, polite service, coupled with a fantastic menu, this place is a winner. My wife and I had dinner here after completing the nearby Lake Walk, which was also fantastic. The cafe was so good we returned the following morning to have breakfast there which once again was brilliant!

Written January 28, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Toni-Wayne

Christchurch448 contributions

Lunch with an outstanding view

Jan 2021 • none

You always worry that a cafe or restaurant in an amazing location will not be great but this place totally goes against that trend. This cafe has good service, an excellent food selection (cabinet and menu) and views out of this world that you can enjoy from either inside or outside the cafe. Highly recommended.

Written January 8, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Terence G

Whanganui208 contributions

NOT WORTH DETOUR

Mar 2021 • none

Lake Mathieson Café is not a place I would visit again. We had coffee which was weak and took 20 minutes to arrive we also had breakfast which was overcooked and took nearly 30 minutes although there were very few patrons. Just not worth the detour.

Written March 20, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pieter S

Nelson1835 contributions

Not to be missed

Aug 2020 • couples

Part of the package staying at the Bella vista motel was vouchers for breakfast at this cafe. We were welcomed with a big smile and there were some good options with the deal. Food was really delicious. It was pity it was raining otherwise we would have taken the walk to they lake. They do have umbrellas if you are keen.

Written August 21, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire

17 contributions

Amazing!

Mar 2020 • friends

Great atmosphere and beautiful views! We got the garlic bread to share and the pork belly each. Everything was delicious and the staff were fantastic. The pork belly meal was large and reasonably priced. We were recommended the Cafe by our motel in Fox Glacier and couldn’t have been happier. Would love to dine here again

Written March 4, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lilyroshe

Roxburgh9 contributions

An absolute gem!

Jan 2020 • none

In a part of New Zealand lacking interesting restaurant choices, Matheson Cafe was a wonderful surprise. This is an award-winning eatery with a stunning view of Mt Cook, interesting and delicious food and flawless service. Don't miss it if you are in the Fox Glacier area!

Written February 2, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jessi

New Zealand7 contributions

Excellent food, lovely view

Jul 2020 • none

We were pleasantly surprised at the delicious food that we had at the cafe. It is unusual to find such lovely food at a touristy location. There was a great selection of food and it was fresh, flavoursome and delicious. The location and view are beautiful and staff are friendly so it really is the full package.

Written July 19, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DawnFurey

Auckland71 contributions

Best lunch spot for miles

May 2021 • friends

Unbelievable food, stunning views and fabulous staff. The small menu means everything is fresh and very tasty. Whilst waiting for your food you can browse the gift shop that is stocked with Nz made products for everyone

Written May 5, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stephen & Sue

Canberra2772 contributions

Best lunch on the west coast

Jan 2023 • none

Matheson Café is that rare beast – a tourist spot café with really good, well priced, healthy food. It was so good we ate here after our walk around the lake, and then came back the next day just for lunch It was certainly an oasis in a region starved for choice – Fox is clearly still suffering from the Covid shut down and some places were shut, while the few left open had menus filled with items they had run out of (even coffee at one place) and too few staff to serve the tourists flooding back. Somehow Matheson Café had transcended this and delivered a great lunch, and great service, all in a wonderful setting.

Written January 25, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Martijn_DJ

Amsterdam2089 contributions

Half a bagel for $25

Jan 2024 • couples

This is a restaurant near the famous lake with the reflection of the mountains. We had breakfast here before the walk. Prices here are already very high and even early on January 2nd with a 15% surcharge due to a national holiday (where in the world is January 2nd a holiday?). I ordered the bagel. When it arrived, I initially assumed that the second half of the cut bagel would be under my egg, but there was nothing there. I walked in with my plate and asked where the other half of the bagel I ordered was. 'it comes like that' was the first answer I got. A lady at the counter would make inquiries for me. To prevent my food from getting cold, I walked outside to start eating, which the lady serving apparently interpreted as a sign that I no longer expected a response because I am still waiting for the 2nd half of my bagel. .

Written February 3, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Edlileung

Hong Kong814 contributions

Morning break

Feb 2020 • family

After we had a walk in lake Matheson the day before, we determined to take a breakfast the other day in this Cafe with the stunning views for Mt. Fox and Mt. Cook. The breakfast was good and the coffee was just delicious. We spent over an hour in that cafe and enjoying the mountain view in distance. Albeit it was a sunny day, we stand hard for the sun light and spent our lovely time for our breakfast.

Written March 23, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Highlander65

Twizel136 contributions

Fantastic location

Apr 2021 • couples

Called in for a coffee after walking around the lake, perfect spot. The panini we ordered was over-toasted and tough, the sausage roll not heated through properly although both tasty. Coffee was OK and service good, looks like they were short staffed and that might explain our food not being 100%. Magic surroundings and friendly service resulted in a very good experience.

Written April 9, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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